Thursday, October 14, 2010

Hey guys, I've been busy the past couple of days so I haven't had much time to whip out an article or a sweet list but I have a video for you instead! I thought the numbers were surprising... Only 17%?

As for tomorrow, I promise to lighten up the mood of this blog and post some funny pictures!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

I live here in Ontario and we get our fair share of cold weather with ice rain, snow and so on but on Jan 5, 1998, ice rain had started to pour down on pretty much of all of Ontario. Rain constantly fell for three to four days, almost 80 hours worth of rain had fallen by the time it was done. Once the rain stopped, all saw the true measure of damage. Everything was covered in ice and power lines where down everywhere. Over 4 million people went without power for weeks and some went with out it for months depending the area they were in. 25 people had died due to the ice storm and problems caused by it and another 12 died in flooding. The Ontario Municipalities declared a state of emergency. The freezing rain front that had hit Ontario had also affected Northern New York, New England, Vermont, New Hampshire and even Maine. Weeks after the storm governments had estimated there was hundred’s of millions of dollars in flooding damage and the overall damage altogether came in around 6 billion dollars U.S. Even to this day, there is still evidence in some areas how bad the ice storm was with hundred-year-old trees snapped like toothpicks in many places.

1987 Edmonton Tornado

Calgary is a big province with many people living within its many cities and Edmonton just happens to be one of those cities. Calgary has also had its share of bad weather before but I do not think anyone living within Edmonton city was expecting what was about to happen to them. On July 31, 1987 at 3:00pm Edmonton city residents, where horrified to learn that a tornado had just touched down in their beloved city with a population at the time of 730,372 people. The tornado roared on for about 15 minutes depending who you ask and touched down in four different areas. By the time, it ended the residents started to come out of their hiding places and seen then horrific damage the tornado had caused. Governments estimated the damage to be $300 million in the four different areas, 27 people had died, and another 300 people suffered injuries. Scientist and weather specialists say the tornado had registered an F4 on the Fujita Scale. Even to this day, the Edmonton tornado still stands as one of the worst tornados in Canadian history.

1985 Air Flight 1285

December 12, 1985 in the early morning flight 1285 departed from an airport in Newfoundland. Shortly after taking off, no more then half a mile away from the runway the plane mysteriously crashed. There were 256 people a board, eight of which were the flight crew and the other 248 were U.S service men. They all died. A day after the crash Canadian government and U.S government received messages from a terrorist group called “Islamic Jihad” claiming responsibility for the crash. After extensive investigations, the Canadian and American governments had proved that ice build up on the wings was to blame for the crash and nothing else. A memorial to the victims of this disaster has been set up overlooking the crash site on Gander Lake in Newfoundland. This death toll constituted to be the deadliest plane crash in Canada and remains so to this date.

1956 Mount Slesse Plane Crash

It was a late and cold winter night on December 9, 1956 when Trans Canada Flight 810 left an airport in British Columbia. Shortly after take off the radio tower had lost all contact with the flight, which had seem to totally disappear. There were 62 people aboard and six of them of which were CFL players back from an All-Star Game, and a mystery man known only as “Kwan Song” who was supposedly carrying a very large amount of cash. All had vanished without a trace or even a word. No one knew where the flight could be and the Canadian government looked for months but with no success. 5 months later on May 10, 1957 while hiking in the mountains near Chilliwack British Columbia, “Elfrida Pigou” found the remains of a plane. After contacting the Canadian authorities about what she found, they launched an investigation and concluded the plane remains were that of Trans Canada Flight 810. On May 25, 1995, British Columbia government declared the crash site as a “Heritage Wreck Site”. No reason was ever given for the crash but even today; this is still known as Western Canada’s worst aviation disaster. Some people to this day believe mystery passenger “Kwan Songs” money is still up in the mountains somewhere.

1917 Halifax Explosion

On Dec 6, 1917 in a Halifax harbour, a French cargo ship carrying a full load of wartime ammo and explosives collided with a Norwegian ship called “The Narrows” that was anchored. At 9:03am, a massive explosion had obliterated all structures and buildings within 2 kilometres of the shoreline and causing tsunami because the explosion was so large. This explosion was the largest artificial explosion in history until the atomic bomb testing in 1945. Once the chaos of the explosion was over the survivors started looking for others who had survived the blast as well. It was a grim site with over 9,000 people lying injured in the streets and another 2,000 Canadians lying dead all over. Many died from debris, fires and collapsed buildings. Following the day of the blast, the survivors were then faced with a blizzard that dumped over 40 centimetres of snow. In 1917, the damage figures where 35 million dollars U.S and that is not counting the surrounding towns that were levelled but in today’s figures, it would more be like $500 million in damage. Even to date this is still known as one of the world’s largest artificial non-nuclear explosions.

1914 Hillcrest Mining Disaster

Its was Friday June 19, 1914, the new mining shift workers had just shown up for work a half an hour before. Sometime after 9:30am, a gas explosion outside of the mineshaft had triggered 3-4 other explosions within the mine. Methane gas was to blame for the explosion. It was a horrible explosion, which trapped 189 miners in the shafts. Rescue operations started right away with every available person grabbing a shovel to dig. Only 46 people survived and where rescued and only 26 of the 189 bodies could be brought up that day. By Saturday afternoon, the coroner had viewed 162 bodies. There was 377 men total at the mines that day, and 189 of them died with most of them only being in their early 20’s and 30’s. Within minutes, 130 women were left widowed and 400 children were left fatherless. One poor soul’s body was never found and to this day still lies buried in the mine.

Monday, October 11, 2010

The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are more closely connected to the traditions of Europe than of the United States. Long before Europeans settled in North America, festivals of thanks and celebrations of harvest took place in Europe in the month of October. The very first Thanksgiving celebration in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival to the New World.

For a few hundred years, Thanksgiving was celebrated in either late October or early November, before it was declared a national holiday in 1879. It was then, that November 6th was set aside as the official Thanksgiving holiday. But then on January 31, 1957, Canadian Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving would be "a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed." Thanksgiving was moved to the second Monday in October because after the World Wars, Remembrance Day (November 11th) and Thanksgiving kept falling in the same week.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Whether you’re a visitor to Canada or a local looking for someplace new and different to go out for dinner, check out some of these new and unique options for a dinner you won’t soon forget! Behold the craziest Canadian restaurants.

O.NOIR Restaurant (Montreal, Que.)

O.NOIR is Canada’s first restaurant to invite you to dine in the dark! With not a ray gone astray, your visual sense essentially shuts down, heightening your other senses. Notable beneficiaries? Your taste buds. The blind staff will keep you safe and savouring all evening long.

Garlic’s of London (London, Ont.)

Try some garlic martinis, cream of garlic soup, garlic ice-cream, even garlic cloves dipped in chocolate. Garlic’s of London reflects the widespread appeal of garlic dishes with its range of international cuisine. Bring mints.

The Haunted House (Montreal, Que.)

Situated roughly 25 minutes from the west island of Montreal, this creepy Victorian house offers a wealth of entertainment with your meal. A spirit welcomes you to this unforgettable dinner theatre experience.

The Salt Tasting Room (Gastown, B.C.)

The Salt Tasting Room is a restaurant with no chef. Nestled in cobbled streets, this restaurant casually offers a selection of cold plates. Guests assemble a tasting plate from a selection of 10 cheeses, 10 meats, and 10 condiments. The selections are regularly rotated so regulars never get bored.

Le Spirite Lounge (Montreal, Que.)

Le Spirite Lounge is a vegan restaurant with rules: everyone who crosses the threshold must:

* Finish their meal to get dessert
* Finish dessert, or they can never go back.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Rogers Communications Inc. said Wednesday that it will test advanced wireless technology in Ottawa that moves wireless traffic up to seven times faster.

It said it already working on Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless technology with Ericsson at the former Nortel labs in Ottawa and will expand the test across the region. Rogers said it will be the first test in Canada of its "fourth generation," or 4G, of wireless technology.

This is a technical trial and Rogers customers won't notice any differences until the technology is proven and it has more spectrum to deliver it.

A government auction is expected next year.

Telephone and cable companies in Canada and around the world are rapidly embracing LTE to handle a wave of traffic generated by texting, online search, video, gaming, banking and voice communications.

LTE is already in service in the U.S. in Las Vegas with a small regional carrier. Verizon will offer it in New York, Chicago and as well as 36 other cities by the end of the year.

In addition to more speed, Rogers said LTE technology, breaks barriers between wireless, traditional phones, laptops and other devices.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

This Luxury Victoria Hotel will blow you away with a breathtaking view of the city by the water. Located in the heart of Victoria's Inner Harbour, you'll be able to view the most beautiful garden city in Canada.

The Hotel Grand Pacific will cost you from $139-$400 (Depending on the season, and promotional considerations)

The Sutton Place Hotel

Calgary Alberta is home to the Calgary Stampede, and a ton of crazy cowboy antics. It's like Canada's Texas. However, there are still some amazing hotels here, but most amazing is the Sutton Place Hotel.

You'll get a room with a view of the city, and five-star service. This hotel features a "Chocoholic buffet", the city's only Chocolate Buffet. And it only costs $16 per person, and includes a drink.

This hotel will run you about $139-$250 per night.

The InterContinental Hotel

Located in the heart of Toronto, the InterContinental hotel
speaks the language of Luxury. With 4 types of rooms available, you can get what you need to relax in the perfect atmosphere. With tons of features, you can't go wrong if you're looking for a Luxury Hotel in Toronto. Fully loaded board rooms and meeting rooms, for you workaholics out there.

This hotel could run you about $175-$550 a night! (Toronto IS an expensive city)

The Hotel de la Montagne

The self-proclaimed "most famous hotel in Montreal
" is perfect in its luxury.

With 5 types of rooms, you're bound to find something you want to sink into. The Hotel de la Montagne is probably best known for it's entertainment and night life. With restaurants and even a Club surrounding it, you can't go wrong if you like to party. Th' Club is always packed with fun-loving partiers, and saving money on a cab is an even better excuse to spend a night in this hotel. Th' Club was also voted "best place to meet someone of the opposite sex" four years in a row! This might appeal to you single folks out there!

The Hotel de la Montagne will cost around $178 and up, per night.

Lord Elgin Hotel

I don't know who Lord Elgin was, or what he did, but I'm sure he was a stand-up guy. He must have been, to have this fantastic hotel in his name. This place is great, offering free highspeed wifi in all rooms, and many other ammenities. Close to the city, and close to nature. Explore some fascinating sites and then kick back and have a nap in the comfy beds.

The Lord Elgin hotel will cost around $179 and up per night. Not bad, considering you're right in the heart of the city!

Now seeing this is a blog about Canada, you knew marijuana was going to be brought up eventually. Marijuana is virtually legal here.. it's a blessing. There have been multiple times where im smoking a doobie with a friend on a busy street and no trouble came out of it. The person in the picture above is Marc Emery, a marijuana activist also known as the "Prince of Pot". He faces 5 years in U.S jail being reponsible for sending millions worth of marijuana seeds over to the USA. Which could be the reason why you have that stash right now.

Jail sentence for marijuana = Epic fail in the system.
War on Drugs was a waste of billions of dollars.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

I live in Ontario and Tim Horton's is all over the f#$@ing place here. I do enjoy a coffee or some timbits every so often. Choosing between Tim Hortons or Starbucks, I would have to choose Tim Horton. Starbucks feels like it's just a mess and it's crowded everywhere.. Tim Horton's is a place where I can go in the morning to drink a cup of coffee and sit down and read a nice newspaper without any disruptions. I know there are a few Tim Horton's in the states up in the north but if you have never been to Tim Hortons, I suggest you do! Also if you didn't know, Tim Horton was a hockey player. Typical, eh?

She runs through the milk drinker’s skillset: the proper triangular cut, the cautious first pour, preventive measures to keep an overfull bag from collapsing.

Collectively, the viewing world outside Ontario leaned back in its seat and said, “What. The Hell. Is that?”

“My friends find it pretty amusing, because we all grew up in Toronto,” Ng, a 22-year-old York University student said. “We thought it was normal.”

Apparently not. Ontario, the world has seen your milk drinking habits, and the world now thinks you’re a weirdo.

Ng posted her milk-drinking video as a way of illustrating the differences between Canadians and Americans. They drink milk out of jugs. We drink it out of bags. She titled the whimsical instructional, “Milk in bags, eh?”

When it went viral a couple of days ago, it was retitled “How Canadians Drink Milk.” Any Albertan will tell you that is plain wrong.

On the popular Web aggregator Digg, feeling about Ng’s milk expose is running strong. Commenter sentiment ranges from ‘Whaaaat?’ to ‘Ew’. A few Americans managed to make it a public health-care issue. A few Canadians made it a We-hate-Toronto issue.

“Only in Ontario,” someone reassured the panicky herd. “They also cheer for the Leafs, so you can see where the problem begins.”

They drink bagged milk in Quebec and the Maritimes. But it rarely passes the other direction, across the Ontario/Manitoba border, unless it’s packed away for a camping trip.

“Ahem. This … should read ‘How East Coast Canadians Drink Mlk’,” one uppity cowboy sniffed. “Out west we do it like normal people. Carton or plastic jug.”

Yeah, well, in Saskatchewan they think there are 12 beers in a “case,” so who are they to judge?

Bagged milk also hits an impassable imaginary wall at the 49th parallel. Almost uniformly, Americans are jug/carton people. Wisconsinites, people who know something about dairy, buck that trend.

Among other forward-thinking nations that have warmed up to the plastic udder – South Africans, Argentines, Hungarians and Chinese. Those latter also bag beer, which means we have some catching up to do.

The Soviets used milk bags, though central Europeans rushed to embrace the carton once the Wall came down. For ten shekels, Israelis can buy a Kankomat – a bag-holder that includes its own cutting device.

The U.K. is in the midst of a painful switch to bags, driven by complaints that Britons refuse to recycle jugs. When they first appeared a couple of years ago, the Daily Mail sounded the alarm: “End of the milk bottle? Supermarket begins selling milk in a BAG.”

In 1967, DuPont debuted the milk bag in Canada using equipment developed in Europe. The local dairy industry jumped on the change, happily abandoning the hassle of breakable glass bottles.

For a while, bag popularity lagged behind a new generation of reusable plastic jugs. But bag adoption picked up speed in the mid-70s, spurred by the conversion from imperial measurement to metric.

Retrofitting a bag-making machine from a gallon to a litre was a matter of cutting the plastic in a different spot. Resizing a plastic jug meant redesigning entire production lines.

All Ontario retailers made the switch by 1983 – except Becker’s corner stores. They doggedly clung to their trademark jugs, even after they were absorbed by Mac’s Convenience.

“We still have a core group of customers who have a strong loyalty to the jug,” said Mac’s spokesperson, Bruce Watson. Today, Mac’s sells jugs and bags side-by-side.

The great early ‘80s bag migration was a matter of no little disruption at the time. Everyone seemed happy buying jugs, and then returning them for a 25 cent deposit. Kids especially. Gen X got fat trading those empty jugs for candy.

At the time, manufacturers pointed out that bags are better at preserving milk. Some finicky types still say they prefer the taste of milk in the carton.

Bags also use 75 per cent less plastic than jugs. What killed the returnable jug system was your uncle’s habit of storing gas or weed killer in it before returning it for washing and reuse.

“I ran a store at the time,” said Watson. “People did bizarre things to those jugs.”

Today’s jugs are shredded and recycled after a single use.

Drinkers discovered that milk in bags costs less than a comparable amount sold in a jug. Mainly, that’s got to do with economies of scale. As bags began to dominate the market, the cost to manufacture single-use jugs jumped.

Today, you can’t find a young Ontarian who remembers that unhappy time when you risked a shoulder injury trying to get a drop of milk out of a 3-quart jug.

Alain Lamarre, DuPont’s marketing and sales manager for liquid packaging, estimates that 75 to 80 per cent of the milk sold in Ontario is bagged. Across the entire country, about half of Canadian milk drinkers use bags.

The other half? They’re still suspicious. Like Stones/Beatles, this is an issue with the ability to divide families.

Ng’s been buried under the response. Enough American doubters piped up that she felt compelled to film a follow-up showing bagged milk at the supermarket, “just to prove it really exists.”

If they think that’s discombobulating, the next entry is going to blow their minds.